Container



Jan. 18, 1938.

A. OUELLETTE CONTAINER Filed Sept. 18, 1936 I 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORALPHOHSE OUELLETIE Q 0%7ml% ATTORNEY A. OUELLETT'E CONTAINER Jan. 18,1938.

Filed Sept. 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N TOR ALPHOHSE ousums BY Zflfirmw EXT T0 RNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED ST'lES CONTAINERApplication September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,485 In Canada August 22,1936 1 Claim.

This invention relates to containers made by creasing and folding asingle blank of cardboard or similar flexible material and particularlyto containers of this type which are adapted to be expanded to form adisplay tray or basket for displaying food products and othermerchandise.

More particularly, the present invention consists in the provision of acontainer constructed so that it may be readily converted from asubstantially square box-like structure into an octagonal display basketor tray of increased capacity which is useful for displaying fruits,vegetables, and other merchandise.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description reference will be had tothe accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. l is a plan view of the blankfrom which my improved container is constructed.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the blank partly folded.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the container produced by appropriatefolding of the blank shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this view one of theauxiliary side wall sections of the container is shown in raisedposition to disclose parts that would otherwise be hidden from view.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the container in partly erectedcondition.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the complete container as itappears prior to being expanded to form a display tray or basket.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the container as it appears in itsexpanded condition.

Fig. 7 is av sectional view taken substantially along the line 'll ofFig. 6.

The blank from which my improved display container is made is shown toadvantage in Figs. 1 and 2. This blank is creased to define a squarebottom wall II having its sides integrally joined to four main side wallsections designated l2 and Ill. The sections l2 are hingedly connectedto diametrically opposite sides of the bottom wall along suitable creaselines Ila. while the sections I3 are similarly connected to theremaining sides of the bottom wall along the crease lines Ho. The mainside wall sections l2 are provided with auxiliary side wall sectionsl2a. J'oined thereto along the crease lines lZb. These auxiliary sidewall sections lZa. are foldable on the crease lines IN) to overlie theinner sides of the main sections l2 and are provided with extensions I20adapted to be engaged in slots IZd provided in the bottom wall lladjacent the crease lines I la. The auxiliary side wall sections IM areof the same length and width as the main sections l2 to which they areattached.

The main side wall sections I3 are also provided with auxiliary sidewall sections I3d joined thereto along the crease lines I312. Theauxiliary side wall sections I3a. are foldable on the crease lines l3bto lie against the inner sides of the main sections l3, it being notedthat the auxiliary sections l3a. are narrower than the main sections l3but of substantially the same length.

Each main side wall section It is also provided with integral terminalextensions I4 Which are free of attachment to the main side wallsections l2. Each extension M is a trapezium figure presenting fourangularly related sides designated Ma, Mb, Me and Md. The side Md ishingedly connected to one end of section l3 and lies at right angles tothe side Mb which is of equal length. The side Mb is a continuation ofthat longitudinal edge of section l3 which is hinged to the bottom wallll along the crease line Ill). The side Mb thus constitutes the loweredge of the extension M and is adapted to rest on the bottom wall IIwhen said extension occupies the position shown in Fig. 3. The tworemaining sides Me and Md of each extension M are of equal length withrespect to each other but somewhat shorter than the sides Ma and lib.These sides Mo and Md are inclined so that, when the wall section I3 isin an upright position, the side Mc slopes downwardly from thehorizontal plane containing the upper edge of said section l3 while theside Md slopes downwardly at a somewhat sharper angle from the lower endof the side Me to the corner where the side Md joins the side Mb. Itwill also be noted that each extension M- is divided by a diagonalcrease line I5 into, a pair of fold-ably related triangular sections l6and ii. The crease line l5 extends across the extension M from thejuncture of the sides Ma and Mb to the juncture of the remaining sidesMo and Md.

Each auxiliary side wall section I3d is also provided with terminalextensions ll! of trapezium form defined by the four angularly relatedside walls lBa, I82), I80 and lBd. The side I819 is a continuation ofthe free longitudinal edge I30 of the wall section l3a. and forms thelower edge of the extension l3 when the wall sections l3 and I301. aredisposed in an upright position with the wall section l3 (see Fig. 4).The side Ida of each extension I8 lies at right angles to the side I81)and is integrally joined to one end of the wall section l3a. The sidel8c of each extension I8 is inclined so that it coincides with the sideMe of one of the extensions I4 when the auxiliary wall section I30. isfolded to lie against the main section I3. This is shown in Figs. 2, 3,4 and 6. The remaining side I811 of each section I8 is inclined so that,with the parts arranged as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it is projectedbeyond the side I402 of the adjacent extension M. It will also be notedthat each extension I 8 is divided by a diagonal crease line I9 into twofoldably related sections and 2| of substantially triangular form. Whenthe auxiliary side wall sections Ita are folded to lie against the innersides of the main sections I3 the crease lines of the extensions I9coincide with the crease lines I5 of the extensions I4.

In setting up my improved container the auxiliary side wall sections I3are first folded on the crease lines I3b to lie against the inner sidesof the main side wall sections I3. The extensions I8 of the auxiliarywall sections I 3 are thus super posed on the extensions M of the wallsections I3 as shown to advantage in Fig. 2. In this position of theconnected wall sections I3 and I3a the crease lines I9 of the extensionsI8 are disposed to coincide with the crease lines I5 of the extensions II. The wall sections I3 are next bent along the crease lines III) to theupright position shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The several extensions I4 andI8 are then bent inwardly as shown more particularly in Fig. 4 to lieagainst the inner surfaces of the side walls I2 which are bent upwardlyalong the crease lines I la. The auxiliary side wall sections In arethen folded down Wardly on the crease lines I2b to overlie the adjacentfolded extensions I4 and I8 of the side wall sections I3 and I3a. Theside wall sections IZa are secured in their downwardly folded positionby inserting the tongues I20 in the slots I2d formed in the bottom wallII. This method of folding the blank results in the production of asquare box of the type shown in Fig. 5 but one in which the side wallsections I3 are capable of being swung from the position shown in Fig. 5to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In the latter position the extensions I4and I8 at each corner of the container are partially withdrawn frombetween the adjacent wall sections I2 and I2a to increase the capacityof the container by changing the side wall structure from a square to anoctagonal structure. In this connection it will be noted that, with theparts positioned as shown in Fig. 3, there is sufficient clearance abovethe sloping sides I40 and I80 of the extensions I4 and I8 to permit thetriangular sections I6 and Zii of these extensions to move outwardlywith the side wall sections I3 and I 3a from the position shown in Fig.3 to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It will also be noted that thiswithdrawal of the corner flap sections I6 and 20 from between theadjacent wall sections I2 and I2a results in the sloping edges I8d ofthe flap sections I8 being brought into engagement with the foldedmaterial joining the upper edges of said sections I2 and I2a. so thatthese edges I8d serve as stops which limit the outward movement of theside Wall sections I3 with respect to the ends of the side wall sectionsI2.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

A container of the character described comprising a square bottom wall,side walls extending upwardly from two of the opposite edges of thebottom wall, each of said side walls comprising an outer wall sectionhaving its lower edge hinged to the bottom wall and an inner wallsection having its upper edge hinged to the outer Wall section and itslower edge releasably secured to said bottom wall and two additionalside walls hingedly connected to the remaining sides of the bottom wall,each of said additional side walls comprising inner and outer sectionsprovided with integral terminal extensions hingedly connected thereto,said terminal extensions being slidably fitted between the inner andouter wall sections of the first-mentioned side walls and being creasedso that portions thereof are capable of assuming an angular positionwith respect to the first-mentioned side walls when partly withdrawntherefrom.

ALPHONSE OUELLETTE.

